Page 76 of The One I Hate
And that’s all.
“Hi!” she says, her bubbly voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard. “Are you looking for someone?”
I swallow and force back tears. “I’m looking for Simon.”
“Oh. He’s in the shower. Can I tell him you came by?”
I shake my head and start backing away. I don’t say another word as I race down the stairs and sprint out of the house to my car. I peel away, but only make it down the street before I pull into a parking lot and just cry.
And cry. And cry some more.
He made me believe I was different.
He made me think I was special. He told me I was. He made me feel like I was.
I wasn’t just the poor, chubby girl who no one gave a second look to. I was someone. Someone special.
Then he kissed me. He kissed me like no one had ever kissed me before.
And it was all just a lie.
Because once again I’m not the girl guys like him go for. I’m just the one they have a good time with and get their rocks off by fucking with.
Once again, I’m not enough.
I’m crying so hard I barely hear the sound of my phone ringing. I do my best to stop crying when I realize it’s Connor calling.
“Hello?”
“Hey. You need to come home.”
This gets my attention. Something in Connor’s voice is freaking me out. “Why? What’s the matter?”
“It’s Mom. It’s not good, Charlie. Just get home. Now.”
“My mom died a week later. My brother was sixteen, and I was suddenly his legal guardian. I had to drop out of school and start working full time to support him.”
The tears are pouring from my eyes, but I keep on going. “So thanks. In the blink of an eye I lost my two best friends in the entire world. One because of an illness that fucking sucks and the other because of a man who couldn’t keep it in his pants.”
Simon doesn’t react to my choice of words, or my retelling of one of the worst moments of my life, instead just moving next to me and taking my hands in his. And because I’m too much of an emotional basket case right now, I don’t fight it.
“I’m so sorry about your mom,” he says. “I didn’t know.”
“I never told you,” I say. “I didn’t want anyone to know.”
“You should have,” he said. “I would have been there. I would have come to you. Been there with you. You shouldn’t have had to go through that alone.”
I laugh through the tears. “And bring your blonde, thin, perfect girlfriend? Or did you miss that part?”
He shakes his head, and I can tell he’s trying to suppress a laugh.
“Are you laughing?”
He shakes his head. “No. Yes. But not in the funny way.”
I pull my hands away from his hold. “Please. Elaborate.”
“I don’t think you want to know.”
